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The Laundry Room

2011
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Okay, so remember my early confession that I am not an organized girl?  Clean girl yes…organized, not so much!  So, another catch-all spot in my house was my laundry room.  Sure we spruced it up a bit by painting the trim and walls, putting down some peel and stick and adding some curtains, but that’s as far as it got.  There were cabinet doors on the cupboards that I attempted to paint but only got 1 coat and everything else just “accumulated” in there.  It was an easy hiding spot right off of the kitchen.  I wish we had before before pictures…but we don’t.  So this is the “before” of the organizing!

Mercy right!  I must say though that it really wasn’t quite this bad.  At the time I was emptying out some of the cabinets to paint the inside.  Small disclaimer:)

Now this side really was this bad.  I just “stuck” everything I didn’t have a spot for right here.  Ish…do you have a place like that??

Can you see my attempt though…at making it cute??  I added the curtain and fabric under the counter so I could hide some clutter, apparently it just wasn’t enough:)

So here’s my attempt at cleaning it up!  I have to also say that I wasn’t done with it.  My vision was to add bead board behind the cabinets and put crown molding on the top to dress it up a bit.   Also I was going to get all matching baskets to make it look even more organized.  But….seeing as though at that point we knew we were selling, I really didn’t want to stick more money into it than I already had.  Maybe the new owners will have some better organizing techniques:)

Oh my goodness there IS a countertop:)  Like the nice little sign, it’s like my subconscious was trying to tell me something!

I always thought it would be adorable to get a cute apron sink in here as well…and a nice mirror.  If only we had another 4 years:)

Much better! I painted the inside of the cabinets and took off the doors.   I also realized I didn’t need 102 rag towels and boy did that free up some space!  Can you picture how cute the crown molding and bead board would be??  Add lots of character!  I did add a missing sock hurricane vase that fills up way too quick and a tip jar on the dryer that’s handy when I run into loose change.  Even though this room doesn’t always stay 100% clean it is much easier to handle now!

Do you have any laundry room tips and tricks??  I’d love to hear them:)

Filed Under: Makeovers

Off To The Cabin!!

2011
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We are making the long trek to the cabin once again…hopefully this time it won’t be as cold:)  And we are taking the kiddos.  A new Lundeen tradition, the whole family will be there!

Haha, it’s been a long spring but hopefully it won’t look like this!!

The kiddos are oh so excited and as Tate says,

We’re gonna shoot everything!!

And whatever her brother does…she has to do:)

So happy Memorial Day everyone!! Have a great weekend!!

Filed Under: cabin

I Must Confess…

2011
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I stole!

Shame on me…I couldn’t resist.

Every couple of days we go out to visit the farmhouse to make sure someone hasn’t gone and moved it:)  And when we get out there our fears and worries about finances, fixing a 100-year-old house, and moving all seem to vanish.  It is so incredibly peaceful out there!  So I just had to.  I had to bring some of it home with me…even though it isn’t officially ours yet:)

Can you blame me??? Aren’t they just GORGEOUS!!  I am in love with lilacs, their color, their smell..everything!  If only I could get them to bloom all summer:)

I just love the pop of color they brought to my dining room! (nice head in the mirror allie…that’s me on a stay at home day:)

So shame on me, the Lord will deal with me later…but for now it was worth it:)

I was also going to mention that cute little “L” I got for my pitcher..if you noticed it:)  I found a lady that makes the vinyl letters and numbers so you can stick them onto just about anything.  They come in 4″ sizes and you can get 5 letters or numbers for $15.  The real reason I got them was because I wanted them for my canisters on my counter.

I have a fourth too, just didn’t fit on this counter.  They sure make them pop though don’t they?  Love it!  They spruced up my $5 dollar garage sale buy just perfectly!!  If you’re interested you can find her products here.  I think you can also make your own if you have a cricut…but unfortunately I do not.

So I hope you are enjoying the flowering shrubs and bushes as much as I am…and watch out, I might just be cutting some out of your yard next:)  Teasing!

Filed Under: How-To's

Distractions…

2011
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So, this past weekend I was able to leave my home for 30 hours (yippee!!) and go to the cities with my mom and sister where we got to attend a Beth Moore conference.  If you have never heard of her then check that link out…she’s the cutest little southern spitfire lady you’ve ever met.  Oh, and God speaks through her….need I say more???  So anyway, I was super excited to go to this conference to get a little fire lit back up if you know what I mean, and hear from God:)  I have done a bible study of Beth’s and knew a few people that went to a couple of her conferences and said, you’re life will be changed.  Yay!  So exciting…

So I gotta tell you something, I went Friday night and Saturday morning and nothing.  I mean sure there was amazing worship with Jesus and great stories to listen to, but I was just so discouraged because I just felt like the message wasn’t for me.  The theme for the weekend…Untangled.  Basically she was talking about living a life where you are not tangled up inside, you have freedom!  Freedom from past hurts, sins, grudges, fears..etc.  Well the thing was is that I wasn’t feeling too tangled at the moment.  Sure I’m freaking out if we did the right thing buying a 100 year old house, but I didn’t think that was really qualifying…and sure I don’t have a perfect marriage, but it’s been really good lately…and sure I don’t have my Christian walk together all the time, but that’s a continual battle I’m fighting.  So what Lord are you trying to speak to me through this conference?  I was actually starting to get a little frustrated with the Lord, thinking every one else is having these life changing moments and I am racking my brain trying to have one for myself….and then it came!

Beth’s point #7 out of #9.  Don’t underestimate Jesus:)  He pretty much spoke to me the whole last 2 hours of the conference!

#7 was:  If destruction fails to entangle us, DISTRACTION will do his best.  Boom.  There it is.  Can I get an amen:)  I hear you now Lord!  She proceeded to go on about how so many of us have SADD, Spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder.   I have to tell you, I have really been trying to have prayer time every day for this last month, and realized that if I write out my prayers I get LESS distracted…but for some stupid reason I always feel the need to take my phone with me and if it makes any sort of noise I have to check it, don’t mind that I’m in a conversation with the one who created me!  Really allie?? Really??  So  yes, needless to say I got the message.  Distractions are keeping me from a truly intimate relationship with God, and there will always be distractions all around.  So now my challenge is to limit them.  Not bring them with me.  Tune them out, unplug them…do whatever I have to do to get back to a point where I can fully meditate and spend time with Jesus without thinking of 20 other things.

So that’s it.  That’s what the Lord spoke to me this weekend…distractions.  Things that seem important, or things that need to get done…when really Jesus is just saying quiet yourself and come to me.  I”m going to try to work on this…I encourage you to do it too if this is something that is hindering you:)

 

Filed Under: Faith

Makeover Madness….the NEW/Old Kitchen

2011

Well, since the rain never ceases to end here, the landscaping is going to have to wait:)  But…on a brighter note, I’m about to show you the new…well not excactly new, but new to us…kitchen!  Now remember, if you aren’t a decorating visionary you are going to have to check back in about 6 months to see what it actually turned into.  If you are, then I know the orange and yellow linoleum, outdated appliance, and beautiful hardware will not scare you off:)  So, here it goes!

They even left us a rug and a clock:)  The bugger is is that these cabinets aren’t quite salvagable.  They may not look that bad from the outside…but when you take a peek inside all of the shelves are sagging and the doors barely slide.

My lovely model…he always looks so serious:)  Here’s the other side.  Gorgeous!  :)  The other “thing” we are trying to work on is that door in the back there…do you see it??  It’s closed now but when it’s open it leads to the upstairs, up a narrow and steep stairwell.  A little scary for a momma.  We are hoping to somehow reconfigure it to come out in the living room, or at least be a little wider!

So, my vision for this kitchen??  Well remember back when I said my dream kitchen was Kim Kardashian’s kitchen?

Well, I still LOVE it….but don’t quite see it in this home.  A 100 year-old farmhouse needs a farm house looking kitchen right?  Or for me a farmhouse/cottage kitchen cause I love that cottage feel:)  So I’m envisioning something more like this..

The lady in the background adds a nice touch don’t you think:)  I love the soft pallete and grays in it!  I’m gonna stick with my great ikea farmhouse sink that I oh so love…and might switch to satin nickel hardware and accessories!  But once again, this is all just a thought!  We’ll see how far the budget gets us:)  So we close in a month and then the demo begins.  I can’t promise that I will be able to blog as much once we start tearing but make sure to check back to see the “afters!”

 

Happy Friday everyone!!!

Filed Under: Makeovers

Outdoor Living

2011
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The most recent project we tackled on this house that is soon to be not ours anymore *sniff sniff* :)  was the outside.  I repainted the whole house, with help from my mom and sister with I was 8 1/2 months preggers with Kynlee.  That nesting thing…it really is true:)  Then last summer my mom came up and helped us landscape.  She’s a true master gardener…yay us:)  But my favorite spot that we created was actually with the help of Nagel Landscaping.  He does amazing work with landscaping, but since my mom was free we used her.  What she can’t do though is stamped concrete patios:)  That’s where Brandon Nagel worked some magic.  I wish I had a before pic, but unfortunately I don’t.  If I can paint the picture though, the old owners used to have a big gazebo and hot tub in the backyard.  They took it with them when they moved so a big dirt spot was left.  Since we also put in the patio door while we were here all we had was a make shift step that Ry built in 5 minutes…needless to say it was functional but not pretty!

Here’s what we have today!

We are still working on the grass, but the patio has created such a cozy outdoor living space!

My favorite part is the grilling nook and this awesome outdoor light my mother-in-law found at a garage sale for 10 bucks!

But I also love these cute stepping stones Brandon made out of the leftover concrete!  They especially look cute when the black-eyed susans are in full bloom and the hostas are fully out!

My hubby found some awesome rocks, big and small to place for decorations and walkways.

So this is where you’ll find us most nice nights, eating and relaxing on our back patio.  At least for the next month:)  So if you are thinking of updating your backyard living space, seriously consider Nagel Landscaping and tell them Allie sent you:)

I’ll show you the rest of the landscaping next time…I love this time of year when everything is growing like crazy!!

Filed Under: Outdoors

Inspiration for Kynlee’s New Room

2011

So I was on Craigslist the other day, as I frequently am…just making sure I’m not missing out a great deal…and there it was.  The stinkin cutest bedding for Kynlee’s big girl bed.  Most of you probably don’t know but we purchased a big bed for her last fall, another deal too great to not pass up.  The only problem is that she sleeps amazing in her crib (which really isn’t a problem) but I had to control myself to not put it up only for the sake of being too excited to keep a new piece of furniture in the storage room.  So there it has sat for the last 6 month..and will continue until we find out there is a little bun in the oven…and no, not yet! Or til we get into the new house and I can set up both crib and bed in one room:)

So, back to my craigslist buy.  I found this pottery barn twin set for $75!!  Now I don’t know if you know what a great deal that is…but I got the quilt and sham, duvet and euro sham, and sheet set:)  Needless to say, this girl was a little excited!  I also loved it cause it didn’t seem too over the top girly, and it had birds in it..need I say more??  So, without any further anticipation…here it is…

Love the pop of pink in the sheets to bring in a little feminine feel:)

The close-up

The nice thing about having the bedding is that I can decorate around it.  So I started doing a little thinking and came up with somewhat of a vision…and keep in mind this all might change in another month when we actually start ripping and tearing.

We visited the house and got a couple shots–hold your breath–and here is Kynlee’s room.  Drumroll please…..

I warned you about the shag right??

She’s a beaut isn’t she:)  Well if you can look past the dark paneling, gorgeous drapes, and shag carpet…try to picture something like this..

A little better pic, complementary of Pottery Barn:)  But..don’t forget about that cute bird quilt on the end of the bed:)

White painted floors that will look something like this..but not as wide.  We do know there is wood under that beautiful shag, just not sure what kind of shape it’s in.  You all know I am a firm believer that paint can fix just about anything so I have high hopes for these floors as well!

And since I don’t love the thought of my kids having to sit on cold floors, a rug something like this..

Now I know that this is super girly, but I think it will balance out the bedding and the cold floors.  Add a little warmth in there:)  And it just screams kynlee’s name!!

So that’s all I got for now.  I would love some sort of wood treatment on the walls, or paint the existing paneling white if we don’t tear it down to replace plaster…I know, aren’t you jealous!  but like I said…I’m sure that will all change once we actually get there.  The rest you’ll just have to check back on and see the real deal!

Also please say a little prayer for us, my hubby tends to be a little stressed looking at the workload, dealing with banks (so much fun!) and trying to line up the sale of our house and the purchase of another.  So, we would really appreciate a little peace of mind prayer that we are doing the right thing:)

Happy Monday everyone!

Filed Under: Decorating

Buying for a House You Know You are Selling

2011
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So I kept a little part out of my living room reveal because I was a bit embarrassed….

Ahhh!!! The dreaded BARE wall!!  That and the fact that it still needs another coat of paint cause I ran out and have been lazy and too cheap to buy another gallon! (I did just get some though to spruce it up before the sale:)

So anyway, sometimes even myself  who loves to decorate…runs into problem areas.  I initially thought of doing another gallery wall in here, but once we brought the armoire in I knew it just wouldn’t look right.  Too busy!  Then we found out we were selling and I didn’t want to put any more time or money into it…but I did know of a piece that I have had my eye on that I wanted even for the new house.

She’s a beaut isn’t she??  I found this cutie at IKEA, and orginally thought I would love to replace my dog chewed, cheap k-mart beautiful black chairs in the kitchenette area.  Only problem??  At $80 a pop it would cost me $320 for the set.  Now some may think this is cheap for a set of chairs…and it is if you look for new ones, but for a girl that is sometimes too thrifty, that’s a huge dent in my budget.  Ha, who am I kidding, there is no budget for extras.  So, I used some of my hard earned garage sale money and decided to splurge on one.  For now it could be used in my problem area…and in the new house, possibly a desk chair, at least until I’m able to purchase the other 3!  So, here she is in her glory now…

Since it’s actually a dining chair it was the perfect size to not take up too much room, you know how that goes over with the hubby:)

Still a little bare above it…but not gonna worry about that for the 3 weeks we have left:)

Now if only I could afford 3 more:)

So, someday in the near future you may see it used in a different way…and that’s why I love pieces like this:)

P.S.  For all of you garage sale fans out there, I am a part of another one!  I found a few more things cleaning out closets:)  My sister is having one right off of Hwy 12 in Dassel.  Just turn north by the mushroom hut and follow the signs, its only 1/2 mile off 12 and has great name brand clothes, womens, boys 0-4T, girls 0-2T, and household goods, furniture…little bit of everything!  It’s a great sale, you don’t want to miss it!  It’s open tonight from 3-6, and thur-sat.

Filed Under: Decorating

A Couple of Great Auction Buys!

2011
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So this last weekend we went to a real estate auction.  I have mentioned before how you can get some really great deals at auctions…but this was actually my first auction I personally bought something at!  It is quite a rush, let me tell you!  I came away with a few little treasures:)

The first item was these cute little antique glasses.  I love the pedestal bottom with the beads..so cute!  I won them for a whopping price of $2.00!!

The next item were these great old Readers Digest books.  They actually have some good stories in, but I bought them for their decorating factor.  Look how cute and vintage they are!  How fun to stack on a bookshelf:)  These were a steal at $8.00 for the box!

Such fun designs!

Looks cute from the side

And there’s a whole lot more:)

The next item I scored on was A NEW HOUSE!!  Yep, that’s right…we bought ourselves a 100+ year old farmhouse on a beautiful little 3-acre hobby farm.  The red barn and chicken coop make the scene picturesque!!

The cute sheds…

The fun farmhouse…with the old couches in the front, gorgeous view don’t you think???

The cute front red door..

Another view…potential a site for attached garage in the near future.

And lastly the pretty view of the lake from our side yard.

So, it’s not completely official, but with a month of intense prayer, a buyer ready to purchase our house, and the price of this house in our budget….I think the Lord made it pretty clear that this is where we are supposed to be.  I know all of my decorating friends are probably dying to see the inside…and let me tell you, it’s worth the wait! (sarcasm) But it has tons of potential that we are seriously excited to reveal…and blog!!  I may be taking some more breaks than usual though, since this is going to be a full time job, so please check back every once and awhile as I hope to keep you updated on the progress!

Oh, and for all of my faithful men readers…all two of you:)  Or whoever you are, Ryan is most excited about 2 huge pole barns that came with the property, and wait for it….they have concrete floors!! I know, something I have always dreamed of:)  I am actually really excited for Ry cause I know that outbuildings to a man are like furniture to a girl, and the fact that I will no longer have to look at the backyard full of toys that was starting to get a bit ridiculous is a plus.

So thank you to all of you that were praying for us in this decision, and we are excited to show you how the projects turn out!

Happy Monday!!

Filed Under: Thrifting

My Daughter…The Next Picasso!

2011
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The other day my kids pulled out their markers and started coloring like crazy.  A great activity to do on rainy days…cloudy days…or days you need to get something done.

I was in the kitchen cleaning up when I come back to see this….a beautifully colored little Kynlee-Kooks

Maybe my first mistake was letting her color naked??  Haha, notice her brother chilling in his underoos in the back…cracks me up:)

The close-up

So, not much harm done.  I did tell her we don’t color on herself but you know it’s a kodak moment, so you need to make the most of it, and luckily it was washable so after a quick bath I got my little kooks to return to this…

And just when I think my little artist has learned her lesson and expended all of her creative juices…I find my little Rudolph Kynlee next time like this…

How does one discipline this???  I mean seriously, could you??

And then it hit me, I have a mini picasso on my hands…if you so humor me, lets take a closer look.

Look at how she blended her colors, without even looking mind you!!

and also notice how well she matched her body art to her shirt.  The girl is only 1 and she already knows color schemes.

So, instead of disciplining this action I have decided to encourage my little artist.  There is clearly A LOT of talent there:)  Who should rip that away from a hopeful Picasso dreamer??

Happy Friday everyone!!

Filed Under: Kids

The Endless Possibilities of Chalkboard Paint

2011
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Chalkboard paint…love it!  It’s ingenious, and cheap!  I first learned about chalkboard paint when I moved in with my sister about 5 years ago and they were making a big chalkboard for their kitchen.  Then I got married and moved into our house and decided that I could find quite a few uses for it as well.  So, I invested in a can of chalkboard paint, made by Rustoleum, found at Menards.  It looks like this…

I think it’s 8 bucks..for sure under 10 and it will last you FOREVER! Or at least until it dries up:)

So, my first project I did was to make these fun little jars.  I got the jars at Target for about $10 a piece and then added some originality to them!

First I measured and made a tape rectangle and painted

Then I removed the paint to leave my cute little chalkboard square

And then the fun part, chalking it up:)

I also used one in my laundry room for soap…

My next project was to paint a door.  My sister had cute paneled doors and painted a panel with chalkboard paint and I loved it!  Since we have ugly flat hollow doors, I wanted to make it work.  So, my brother-in-law so graciously cut a frame for me out of some trim I bought, glued it together, then I measured my door, painted the spot where the frame was gonna go, and glued it down with wood glue.  We did clamp it and leave it for a day to dry before hanging it back up.  But all in all we had  a new door for around 10 bucks!  Here’s what it looks like…

I love it cause you can change it up all the time for seasons, celebrations, sweet notes….to remember the date when you are home everyday:)  You know, whatever suites your fancy!!

Lastly I came up with a project just a couple of weeks ago using more chalkboard paint that was super duper easy, I’m talking 2 minutes easy.  I found an old frame at a thrift store for $3 and then just painted right on the glass.  I didn’t even take the picture out from behind it.  I was a little antsy and only gave it 2 coats, if you want durable paint you might want to do 3 or 4 on glass, but it worked okay for me.  Then I used it to decorate with.  It would also be a great thing to use in a gallery wall or kids room.

Here’s just a couple more fun ideas that I’ve found surfing the web that I might try someday!

For the little (or not so little) artist in your family!

This one is a bit safer for the little artist in the family:)  Or mine at least!

Here’s a door like I was talking about, so cute…but what’s even more cute is her amazing ability to organize!  I’m drooling over here since that is clearly NOT one of my strong points!

A cheap and creative kitchen backsplash!

A statement wall…love this room by the way:)

Simple pots…I think I might have to do this one this summer!

Or make your recyclables actually look cute!

Even a whole table!  Never have a dull dinner again:)

The possibilities are seriously endless….I’d love to see a project you come up with!  So go get yourself a can of chalkboard paint and start creating!:)

P.S.  I know people have said you can also get chalkboard paint tinted different colors if black isn’t your thing, so if that intrigues you go check it out:)

Filed Under: How-To's

A Kitchen Make-Under

2011
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I know…a kitchen make-under from me??  Crazy huh?  Well, here’s the deal, after completely changing the color scheme of one room, there is kind of a snowball effect.  All of a sudden my green was too bright to go with my more subdued colors in the living room.  Of course I knew my hubby would roll his eyes at me and say “really?” since I just painted this area about a year ago…but if it drives a girl crazy, something has to be done.  I was actually paint shopping with a great friend, looking for colors, when I found one I liked.  Little did I know it was the same color we used to paint her cabinets.  She was buying an extra gallon for touch up and trim paint, and said I could use some for my walls, since I really only had 1 full wall to cover.  In turn, she loved my green, and asked if she could use some of that for her entryway.  Ta-Dah…the great paint swap!  Ingenious if I do say so myself.  We both got new paint colors at no cost…the hubby can’t be too mad about that.

So I found my opportunity one night when Ry was gone turkey hunting.  I had my cousin help me move the hutch, took down the curtains, and about 2 hours later my make-under was complete!

Here’s the before…

You can’t see a ton of the green, but you get the picture.  Fun color, just struggling with the new decor.

And the after…


If you caught it I also took the damask fabric off of my shades.  Trying to lighten it up a bit and break away from the black/white color scheme.  I’m aiming for more of a cottagey feel, maybe someday I’ll get new chairs and paint the hutch again.  Maybe.  Sidenote:  Ryan didn’t even notice I had painted the room.  He sat in there and ate and never even noticed.  I had to tell him later that night.  Lesson learned: Don’t get mad when he doesn’t notice my new hair do or clothes…some men really just don’t notice:)

I want to fill my hutch with all cream/white dishes…but it will happen slowly.  I’m hoping to find most of them garage saleing and thrifting.

Have you spotted the changes??

Before..

I’ll tell you what..I had the happiest husband the day I took down the kitchen window treatment.  Do your husbands freak out about windows being covered up as much as mine??  Love you baby!  You’d think he did dishes all day long looking out that window with how excited he was.  I did like the look, but I must admit, there is a ton more light in our kitchen now.  Surprise..it’s cloudy again today and it’s not even that dark in here.  (A little, sorry for the picture quality!)  Anywho, to say it was worth it was an understatement.  He felt like he was being heard for a small sacrifice on my part.  I also ditched the damask plates and plate rack if you noticed:)

So that’s it…a small little make-under that blends the kitchen a little bit better with the rest of the house.

Happy Monday everyone!


Filed Under: Make-Unders